No, not inherently. Sorry to burst the bubble.
Here’s the actual thing: that’s a nonsense question in 2022. It’s true that Thelemic philosophy gestures toward a radical individualism that is counter to fascist notions. Karl Germer was literally put in a German concentration camp. Liber Oz is a whole thing. But there are also obviously fascists and their sympathizers already engaging with Thelema as solitary practioners and participants in organizations. In the story of the Nazi Bar, we’re well past the point at which the Nazis think that our space is there’s. So that’s the urgency by which my last post about having, essentially, a Thelemite Reformation comes from.
To be sure, there are philosophical lines to be drawn that reinforce an explicitly anti-fascist, inclusive Thelema as well. Really centering non-dualism or monism and making that an explicit first principle for why it is urgent to follow the law of Thelema, creates less space for fascists to use Thelema to justify scapegoating a shadowy other. Conceptions of the “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” greeting as a being projected out away from Thelemites rather than toward them individually reinforce the notion that we are responsible for facilitating the freedom of others to seek and live in accordance with Pure Will, and not just looking out for ourselves. Even just recommitting to focusing away from Crowley’s interpretations of Kabala/Yoga/Taoism and toward conceptions of those systems that come from contemporary practitioners of them has some benefit by reinforcing the multicultural nature of The Current.
But we cannot lose sight of the fact that we’ve already lost the battle of keeping all Thelemas free of Alt-Right/New-Right/fascist people. And certainly some Thelemic organizations have already become “Nazi bars.” So rather than, in a sense, asking if fasc-y Thelemites are real Thelemites, we all would be better served by crafting a Thelema that leaves no space, whether social or philosophical or spiritual, for fascists and creates maximum space for people of color, queer folks, women, and anti-fascists. And that’s how Thelema can thrive into the 21st century.
Nick the Melaninated Magician
Nick AKA The Melaninated Magickian (They/Them) is a Thelemite and explorer of existence. They write observations about High Strangeness, Occultisms, and how those things intersect with race, gender, disability, and other social identities on their blog and on Twitter. In their normie work, they are a professional DEI practitioner, avid film watcher, and home cook.
